The Next Actor to play Doctor Who Number 12 will be announced by the BBC at 7pm Sunday 4th August 2013 simulcast worldwide(check your local station/TV guide for details) it will be shown here in Australia on ABC1 at 4am AEST on (5th August 2013). Who will it be??

LONDON (Reuters) - British public broadcaster the BBC will reveal the 12th actor to play the lead role in its long-running "Doctor Who" science-fiction television series in a special live broadcast on Sunday 4th august 2013.

The half-hour show will feature an interview with the next Time Lord, who travels through space and time battling all manner of malevolent monsters, ranging from new computer-enhanced horrors to the now decidedly creaky-looking Daleks, survivors of the early shows from nearly half a century ago.

"The decision is made and the time has come to reveal who's taking over the Tardis," executive producer of the TV series, Steven Moffat, said in a BBC statement on Friday.

Actor Matt Smith, who has played the role since 2010, said in June he would be bowing out in this year's Christmas special.

His announcement sparked speculation about who might take over, with actors Peter Capaldi, Ben Daniels, Rory Kinnear and Ben Whishaw among the bookies' favourites.

"Amongst all the speculation and betting, there has been lots of fun and intrigue at work as we've been using the codename Houdini as a decoy," said BBC drama controller Ben Stephenson.

"It's the biggest secret in showbiz - even those working with the new Doctor on other projects at the moment have no idea they are in the presence of the 12th incarnation."

The series will mark its 50th anniversary in November with a special episode that will see the return of some old faces, including David Tennant and Billie Piper.

"Doctor Who Live: The Next Doctor" will be on BBC One at 7 p.m. British Time on August 4 and simulcast on BBC America.

The Next 'Who 'has been revealed and agree with the choice. An Older Actor this time in the tardis..

Peter Capaldi, the actor best known for his role as a foul-mouthed spin doctor, is to play the next Doctor in the popular television series, Doctor Who.

To much fanfare, the BBC unveiled the 55-year-old Glaswegian as the 12th Time Lord during a live program on Sunday evening.Capaldi, who won an Oscar in 1995 for his direction of the short film Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life, replaces the outgoing Matt Smith.

It will be a change of scene for the Scottish actor who is most associated with his role as Malcolm Tucker, the angry media adviser in the TV series The Thick of It.

The political comedy has also had a big screen incarnation in the 2009 film In The Loop, in which Capaldi starred with the late James Gandolfini.

Capaldi was the bookies' favourite but he says auditioning for the role was a challenge.

"Even though I'm a life-long Doctor Who fan I haven't really played Doctor Who since I was nine in the bedroom," he said.

"Being asked to play the Doctor is an amazing privilege. Like the Doctor himself I find myself in a state of utter terror and delight. I can't wait to get started."

Capaldi has acted in a host of other British TV shows, including The Vicar of Dibley and Skins, and he even played a character on Doctor Who during the 2008 season.

His film credits also include Dangerous Liaisons, Local Hero and the recent World War Z.

The Scot played Professor Marcus in Graham Linehan's 2011 stage adaption of The Ladykillers, which ran at the Liverpool Playhouse and the Gielgud Theatre in London.

After months of speculation, Capaldi joked it was a relief the secret was finally out.

"It's so wonderful not to keep this secret any longer, but it's been so fantastic," he said.

"For a while I couldn't tell my daughter, who would be looking on the internet and discovering that people were saying so-and-so should be Doctor Who.

"She was getting rather upset that they never mentioned me, and I said to her, 'just rise above it, darling'."

Executive producer and lead writer Steven Moffat says an "incendiary combination" has been forged.

"One of the most talented actors of his generation is about to play the best part on television," he said.

The BBC said Capaldi's debut as the Doctor will be broadcast on Christmas Day in the UK.

The series will mark its 50th anniversary in November with a special episode that will see the return of some old faces, including David Tennant and Billie Piper.